Sanding device



Nov. 7, 1950 g, o 's 2,529,105

. r SANDING DEVICE Filed April 14, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

EARL Rae/5R5 BY I ATTU Y Nov. 7, 1950 3, ROGERS 2,529,105

SANDING DEVICE Filed April 14, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CARL HUEEHS ATTU Patented Nov. 7, 19,50

UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE SANDING DEVICE Carl Rogers, Port Sandfield, Ontario, Canada Application April 14, 1948, Serial No. 20,862

This invention relates to I and smoothing down or restoring, by'sandpapering or the like, various surfaces to be finished or refinished. More particularlyfit relates to a'device of the character indicated which may be used in the same manner-as a conventional paint brush.

Heretofore it has been'the general practice in finishing surfaces, such as those of walls, ceilings,

floors, woodwork, furniture and the like, to employ a block or similar deviceto, or around, which is applied a strip of sandpaper or similar sanding means. This is pressed'by the exertion of the operator, with substantialforce against the surface to be finished and is moved back and forth while in forceable engagement with the surface.

The operator has tired quickly in the use of such blocks or devices because of the pressure hemust exert and because the operation must be performed largely with one hand. A right handed worker finds it awkward to operate a block with the left hand and a left handed worker finds it awkward to use the block in the right hand.

Moreover, in sanding overhead surfaces, such as" ceilings, the necessity of exerting pressure requires the use of the block directly over the head of the worker so that the finegparticlesof'dust created by the operation fall upon the worker and cause considerable discomfort. Further' more, in the use of a block there is substantial wastage of sandpaper since the latter must be curled or folded around the endsof the block and, therefore, a substantial section at each end of the paper cannot be used.

An object of the present invention has been to provide a sanding device which requires less exertion by the worker in sanding a surface and one which may, therefore, be used more con:

tinuously without unduly tiring the worker. j

a "device for ending In Canada July 30, 1947,

' 8 Claims (Cl. 51-187) effectively, manually,'in such a Way that the particles removed through the use of the device I will not fall upon the operator. y A further object has been to provide a sanding device which will enable the efficient and sub; stantially full use of the sandpaper, or other expendable sanding means, utilized in its operation.

A still further object has been to provide an inexpensive device of the character indicated which will permit the sandpaper or other sanding means to be readily and quickly changed to vary its texture or coarseness or to replace or reverse it. Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred form of'the same which will now be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a face view of an illustrative form of the improved sanding device fully assembled;

Fig. 2 is a side View of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a face view of the main body of the device including a handle, a ferrule, and a flexible body member formed into a unitary assembly;

Fig. 4 is a face view of one of the clamping bars or plates for the removable and replaceable I sanding material; Fig. 5 is a cross-section through the plate of 'Fig. 4, taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a face view of the plate or bar provided on the opposite face of the main body off the device; and

Fig. '7 is a detail view showing a bolt and Wing nut used in association with the plates of Figs. 4 and 6 to releasably clamp the sanding material to the main body of the device.

Referring now to the drawings, the illustrativedevice comprises a handle l0 having a gripping portion l l similar to that provided on a conventional paint brush. At the base of the gripping portion the handle has an enlarged shoulder portion [2, this being inserted in and retained by a ferrule l3. Any suitable means, such as nails 14,

may be employed for securing the handle and H From the opposite end of the,

ferrule together. I ferrule there projects a flexible body member 15 which extends into the ferrule a suitable distance and is retained therein in any suitable way, as by frictional engagement with the inner surface thereof, and by means of nails I6. The ferrule is preferably provided with circumferential beads near their upper and lower edges for stiffening purposes, although these may be omitted if the material of which the ferrule is formed is sufficiently stiff. The member is preferably formed of rubber, either natural or synthetic, of relatively light weight and porous construction, such as sponge rubber. It may, however, be formed of other suitable materials such as thermoplastic substances and the like having suitable flexibility and resilience or elasticity. It may be formed, for,

example, of nylon or of a copolymer of vinyl acetate and vinyl chloride which is sold under the tradename 'Vinylite; In general, it is important that it should yield and flex in substantially the same manner as the bristle body 013?". a paint brush and it should normally tend to return.

to the position indicated inthe drawings afterfl'ex ure in either direction. To facilitate the;ql't zsil,edi

bending of the body l5 in response to the useof, the device with a long sweeping stroke, similar, to that given to a paint brush, .it is preferably" provided with a long longitudinal slit l-1l-,.whio h extends from its outer end to a point adjacent the ferrule. If desired,. aseries of such slitsmay be provided or the bodymay. be formed 'of a plu-. rality of separate strands. or sections of rubber or other suitable material appropriately shaped into a body similar tothe bristle body ofa paint,

brush. The opposite faces of the flexible body liarepreferably substantially flat andarranged.

to taper inwardly or converge from the edges of; the ferrule toward the outer free end of the body. It is important that the' member, or members, l5 have substantially the samefeel as the bristle, body of a paint brush as the device is manipulated across the surface to be sanded with the long sweeping strokes usually given to a paint brush,

although it may besomewhat stiffer.

In forming the assembly thus far explained, the ferrule may, if desired, b'epfolded'aroundthebase. portion l2 of the handle and around tl'ieupper end of the flexible body l5. andoverlapped at the side ofthe assemblyto form aseam l 8. By forming the. assembly inthisway the flexible member,

or members, may be squeezed and held firmlyby thefrictional action of the ferrule, as well as by the nails lfiand by a nail IQ which may be provided along the edge-of; the ferrule. If d sired, the overlappedportions of the ferrule may be soldered or brazed or-otherwise bonded to gether, or the free ends may be-securedby-apr,

propriate interlocking and; folding: or crimping.

A pair of apertures 20- is preferably provided, in suitably spacedrelation, through the base-of the handle lil-andthrough the walls of the fer- These apertures are adapted to receive rule. the reduced shanks of bolts-2,! of. the type illustrated in Fig. '7. The reduced cylindricalshanks 22 of these bolts are adapted to slide freely through the apertures 20-. At the opposite faces Plate 24 is provided with,circular openings 28.

through which the shanks 2 2. of the bolts may pass freely. Readily releasable means, such as wing nuts 29, are providedatfthe outer ends of the bolts for clamping the plates secured against the opposite faces of the ferrule and handle.

Plate 24 has an inwardly turned flange or rib 2|] along its lower edge and may also be provided with a similar flange or rib 3| along its upper curved edge. Similarly, the plate 23 may be provided with a flange or rib 32 along its lower edge and a flange or rib 33 along its upper curved edge. The flanges 3i and 33 may be eliminated, if desired, and the plates simply bent inwardly slightly at their upper portions to engage the ferrule or the base i2 of the handle to an extent suflicient to maintain the main body of each" plate substantially parallel: with the face of the ferrule. In. this e-v'ent' the central portion of the upper edge of each plate should be straightlined, instead of curved, to provide for line contact with the handle. If the flanges 3| and 33 are provided, they are preferably interrupted in the region-ofzthe-upper bead of the ferrule so as to avoid engagement with the latter.

Referr ng now to' Fig. 1, the plates 23 and 24 are adapted to clamp the upper ends of sanding elements 34 which may bein theform of sandpaper, emery cloth, or the like. It should be sufficiently; stiff andresilient to returmefterflexing, to ;theposition, indicated-in Fig. 2, but it should flex readily in the use-ofthe device. A sheet, of: such material is. provided, along; each faceofthe flexible, l5, of the device, the-- pp r n s 35-; of. these. sheets being clamped;

against the ferrule by means of the ribsgor flanges 3.0 and. 32., If; theyclamping, plates are provided with t-heefialiges 31- and. 33. along theentire, top and, side edges, the-upperbeadon-the: ferrule must. project: outwardly toan extent less than the thickness of the sanding-material; At; its lower endeach-lsheetqmay. be. arranged to; ter

minate substantially. flush with -thewfree endof} the-body |5= or may extend slightlybelqw this. In order to. increase the-flexibilityand effettive-v ness'iof the outer end o-f; each, of the sheets 34, a" series of: slits. 36 is; preferably provided, these, extending longitudinally. of the sheet fora distance of-about 15". In, order, that the sheetsmay be reversed so that, both ends'may. be subjected to-wear before] they are discarded, theslits 36- ma suitab y be'providedatboth ends. They may, however, be, omittedaltogether-if desired, particularlyif thesanding material -is sufliciently.

flexible without the slits:

In the use of theldevicesandpaper or the; like;

of the desired finenessor coarseness, may be assembled. with themain bodystructure; in; the

: and ,1 nd. h W ne s r d a ed.- nutslaturnedsufiici nt ,tightl-yltefirmly l n-1n. the sandpaper against the; ferrule The upper;

edges of; the stripsiof; sandpaper may. suitably abut against the upper bead of the-ferrule The.

device may then 136118861: with. a; longsweeping stroke similar to, thatgi-yen to apaint brushed;

that} the two faces: of -the device becomealter-. nately effective in sanding; thesurface to be at-w hae m unt offfeffort, and within; a.- specifled timeaa; larger"- ished. It will, be found t surface, maybe sanded throu the nsepf the;

improved device. then. thrQue the.- use of. the

conventional; sanding, block,- .The,wo1;kerv be. comes L less tired-. due to. the faetthat the device; may b s d-W th summi h am 1+ QHQY in, eith n a i of sanding surfaces After the low 0h sandllapemor-the k li-hasee me-w m;

-.- av, therefore; be;- hif edfromi nc hand tcrt aiotherinthe course-rs to theextentzthat itqnanrno; longerbe used efficiently,the clamping means; may be loosened and the two-sheets, of sandpaper,

may be reversed so that what previously constituted the upper portions may now become the operative lower portions. Substantially the entire surface of the sandpaper may be utilized in this way. So also,if it is desired to start with relatively coarse sandpaper and finish with a finer grade of sandpaper it is a simple matter to replace the sanding strips or sheets at the two faces of the device by the type desired.

While a preferred form of the invention has been disclosed in considerable. detail, it will be understood that numerous variations may be made in the construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the general principles and scope of the invention. For example, the gripping edges of the plates 23 and 24 may be serrated, or otherwise formed, togrip the sanding strips or sheets more firmly, if desired. Other modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A manually operable sanding device for use in finishing surfaces which comprises a handle having a hand gripping portion and a base portion, a flexible and resilient body having one end secured to said base portion and its main part projecting therefrom, flexible abrasive strips overlying the opposite faces of said flexible body, and securing devices for retaining said abrasive strips in juxtaposition to the faces of said flexible body, said flexible body and said abrasive strips being adapted to flex freely first in one direction and then the other in substantially the same manner as the bristle body of a paint brush as the outer ends thereof are drawn back and forth across a surface to be finished in a sweeping movement.

2. A manually operable sanding device for use in finishing surfaces which comprises a handle having a hand gripping portion and a base portion, a flexible body formed of rubber-like material having one end secured to said base portion and its main part projecting therefrom, flexible abrasive strips overlying the opposite faces of said flexible body and securing devices for retaining said abrasive strips in juxtaposition tothe faces of said flexible body, said flexible body and said abrasive strips being adapted to flex freely first in one direction and then the other in substantially the same manner as the bristle body of a paint brush as the outer ends thereof are drawn back and forth across a surface to be finished in a sweeping movement.

3. A manually operable sanding device for use in finishing surfaces which comprises a handle having a gripping portion and a base portion, a flexible and resilient body having one end secured to said base portion and its main part projecting therefrom, said flexible body having dimensions comparable with those of the bristle body of a chisel-pointed paint brush, flexible abrasive strips overlying the opposite faces of said flexible body and securing devices for retaining said abrasive strips in juxtaposition to the faces of said flexible body, said flexible body and said abrasive strips being adapted to flex freely first in one direction and then the other in substantially the same manner as the bristle body of a paint brush as the outer ends thereof are drawn back and forth across a surface to be finished in a sweeping movement.

4. A manually operable sanding device for use in finishing surfaces which comprises a handle having'a hand gripping; portionaandra basepore;

tion, a flexible bodyhavinggone end securedto said base portion, and its main part-projecting therefrom, said flexible bodybeing formed of soft. resilient material and having substantially;flat: outer'faces, said body tapering'inwardlyff'rom. a relatively thick portion adjacent the handleto. arelatively thin ,portion at the free outer end,. flexible abrasive strips overlying the opposite faces of said flexible body, and. securing devices for retaining said abrasive strips in juxtaposition to thefaces of said flexible body, said flexible body and said abrasive strips beingxadapted .to

flex freely first in one direction and thenjthe.

other in substantially the same manner as the bristle body of a paint brush as the outer ends thereof are drawn back and forth across a surface to be finished in a sweeping movement.

5. A manually operable sanding device for use in finishing surfaces which comprises a handle having a hand gripping portion and a base portion, an integral flexible body having one end secured to said base portion and its main part projecting therefrom, said flexible body being formed of resilient material and adapted to yield under pressure and being divided longitudinally to facilitate flexing, flexible abrasive strips overlying the opposite faces of said flexible body, and securing devices for retaining said abrasive strips in juxtaposition to the faces of said flexible body, said flexible body and said abrasive strips being adapted to flex freely first in one direction and then the other in substantially the same manner as the bristle body of a paint brush as the outer ends thereof are drawn back and forth across a surface to be finished in a sweeping movement.

6. A manually operable sanding device for use in finishing surfaces which comprises a handle having a hand gripping portion and a base portion, a ferrule surrounding said base portion and secured thereto, an integral flexible body formed of resilient, yieldable material having one end retained by said ferrule and having its main portion projecting therefrom, releasable clamping means mounted on said ferrule, and flexible abrasive sheets overlying the opposite faces of said flexible body and having one of their ends retained by said clamping means, said flexible body and said abrasive sheets being adapted to flex freely like the bristle body of a paint brush as the outer ends thereof are swept back and forth across a surface to be finished.

7. A manually operable sanding device for use in finishing surfaces which comprises a handle having a hand gripping portion and a base portion, a ferrule surrounding said base portion and secured thereto, a solid flexible, resilient, yieldable body having one end retained by said ferrule and having its main portion projecting therefrom, said body being divided in the direction of its length from the outer end thereof to a point adjacent the ferrule, a releasable clamping means mounted on said ferrule, and flexible abrasive sheets overlying the opposite faces of said flexible body and having one of their ends retained by said clamping means, said flexible body and said abrasive sheets being adapted to flex freely like the bristle body of a paint brush as the outer ends thereof are swept back and forth across a surface to be finished.

8. A manually operable sanding device for use in finishing surfaces which comprises a handle having a hand gripping portion and a base por tion, a ferrule surrounding said base portion and 7 secured therto, a. -fiexible body iormed of -zresilient, iyieldable-material Ihaving one"-end'-=1reta.i-I-Ied by said .ierrule and rhavin'g iits main portion proje'cting therefrom, releasable clamping 'meai rs mounted '0n'-:said ferrule, said clampingmeans comprising .bars with gripping edges extendixig transversely-across said ferrule at t-he opposite faces thereof and means 5for releasably'retaining said .bars, and flexible abrasive sheets overlying the oppositezfaces of saidiflexiblebody and having one of their ends retained by said gripping edges of said clamping meansgsaid flexib1e body and saidabrasive sheets being adapted to flex freely alike the bristle body of a. paint brush as 'tlfe ofiter euds there'of eire 'swe'pt 'buek' andiferth aoross a sur faeato be finished.

CARL ROGERS:

R'EEERENC-ES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED-STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 674,384 Nash May 21, 1901 919;054 'Milne fApr. 20,1909 959,213 Ganz May 24, 1910 11794 092 Phillips Feb. 24,1931

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,529,105 November 7, 1950 CARL ROGERS It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring oorrectlon as follows:

Column 5, line 58, before the Word gripping insert hand and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice. Signed and sealed this 23rd day of January, A. D. 1951.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Uommz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

